Alsjeblieft
by PotterAllTheWay64
Summary: The title is please in Dutch, which is a word I found popped out a lot in the movie. This is a fanfiction of Frozen one shots, prior and post movie. They aren't in any particular order, just moments of their lives that I found interesting. Give this a read and I promise it won't be too bad.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: If you clicked this thank you for giving me a chance and I hope you enjoy part 1 of this little one shot thing I'm doing. **

Birthday Part 1

In the depths of the mountains and backed by the large sea was a small kingdom by the name of Arendelle. Despite being a tropical place it was a pitiful country, overlooked by most neighboring countries on account of it being so small and the fact that Arendelle was no more dangerous than a fly. The people of the kingdom saw this as a blessing, happy to stay in peaceful negotiations like they had been doing for hundreds of years.

Though unimportant to most, Arendelle's location was perfect for mining the mountains and taking the riches. The countries that did find them to be important happily traded useful items for the gold and oil harvested there, so on Christmas Eve one year the King of Arendelle invited royal dignitaries from those countries to visit and they were currently packed tight in the ballroom with drinks and festive music. Round bellied men laughed in groups, bellowing their enjoyment and forgetting all their worries for the holidays. The women were equally as occupied, dancing with the young men of the courts; flirting and twirling with wild abandon. A warm breeze blew through the open windows high in the concrete walls.

The King and Queen of Arendelle sat on their thrones surveying the party with warmth. Queen Alice had one hand gripping her arm rest and the other draped lightly over her growing stomach. She practically glowed in her pregnancy earning many looks from the guests. King Edward sat beside her, straight-backed, nodding at the people who came to pay their respects and glancing at his wife anxiously every couple of seconds. She was due any day now.

The topic of the Queen's unborn child was hot on the guest's lips. "She looks ready to pop!" the young Duke of Weseltown exclaimed to an audience. "Finally an heir is to be had. Hopefully a healthy prince!" the listeners raised their goblets,

"To the Prince of Arendelle!" their toast echoed in the stone hall and was repeated in fervor throughout. Queen Alice smiled at her baby bump.

"Do you hear that my son?" she cooed quietly, rubbing her stomach, "They can't wait for you to arrive." The baby had been kicking to the music all night and she liked to think he could hear her talking to him. She felt a sudden ferocious kick and a sharp pain in her back. Alice grimaced and her grip on the chair tightened. The pain lasted longer than the last one she'd had. Edward leaned over and put a hand on hers in concern.

"Are you alright, love?" he whispered. She did her best to smile at him, but another bout of pain wracked through her middle and Alice doubled over in her seat. Edward jumped from his throne and a couple of guards rushed over from their posts, but Alice waved them off.

"I'm fine darling. I just think our Prince is a little anxious to join us." She straightened before anyone noticed. She was a lady of exceptional grace and she wouldn't let a little pain disrupt their Christmas party.

Before Edward could answer her another guest approached the thrones. An old man with barely any hair atop his head and a cane firmly planted under his arm. He looked like he'd just arrived, still wearing a coat that was somehow covered in white fluffy flakes the Queen recognized as snow. Growing up in a place like Arendelle the cold was a foreign thing to the King and he didn't see the snow right away. But his eyebrows did pull together in confusion. The man bowed.

"Greetings, King Edward. I have sailed a long distance to Arendelle, though I must say I didn't expect a blizzard when I arrived. Thankfully I pack for all occasions." The man chuckled good naturedly, brushing snow from his shoulders.

"That's peculiar," Edward said standing to shake the newcomer's hand, "There hasn't been any sign of snow in Arendelle for years. It was nice of you to come anyways King Harold. I hope you enjoy the party and your stay."

King Harold turned his squinty blue eyes on Alice whose attention was held by the sweets tray passing through a crowd of people. "And congratulations to you, Queen Alice," he said, eyes twinkling mischievously. He bent to kiss her hand and when he looked at her again she had the strangest feeling King Harold knew something she didn't. "A strange storm indeed," was all he said before standing and making his way into the throng of people, disappearing from Alice's sight.

At first she didn't feel the warm liquid run down her leg. Not until a servant girl nearly slipped on the fluid, dropping the tray of finger foods at the Queen's feet. "My apologies, Majesty," she said quickly dropping to her knees to clean up the mess.

"No trouble dear, Alice said kindly, shifting in her seat. The girl popped up abruptly, eyes wide and mouth slightly open.

"M'lady…" she gasped, "You-you're…" Alice glanced down and saw the light of a nearby fire glint off the water on the floor. Pain pierced her stomach and she nearly howled with the suddenness of it, but she kept her composure.

"Edward," she whispered, face as white as paper, "Edward!" she hissed again. He finally turned a question on his lips. Alice didn't give him a chance. She grabbed his arm tightly. "The baby."

It was all she had to say. The servant girl was sent to fetch the doctor who was down in the village and Edward gently helped Alice up from her chair. He motioned for the guards and almost a dozen of them surrounded the King and Queen to escort them from the ballroom. The band was instructed to keep playing and Edward told the entertainers to start the Christmas play. However, the guests were not to be distracted. They all stopped dancing to watch their hosts exit hastily down a side corridor.

The walk to a proper room was a long one. They passed empty room after empty room and all the while Alice held Edward's hand in a death grip, his knuckles turning white. "Just think Alice," he said joyfully, "Our son could be born on Christmas morning!"

"He already has your skill at making a scene." She wheezed. Edward chuckled and swiftly bent to pick her up and carry her the rest of the way to the room.

The bed was made and a fireplace was already roaring when they entered. The castle staff had been preparing for this occasion for months. Alice was laid gently on the pillows where she whimpered in pain.

"Is there anything I could do?" Edward asked desperately, taking a knee by his wife's side.

"Get away from me," she growled, but she kept a firm hand on his wrist. Edward smiled.

"Where's the doctor?" he called to a guard standing outside. Before he could answer the servant girl ran past him, screeching to a halt by the door, wild eyed and breathing hard.

"M'lord," she huffed, "No one can see… to get down to the village… there's a real blizzard out there!" The King glanced out the window to see a sight he thought he's never live to see. All of Arendelle was covered in thick, white snow and the flakes just kept coming down in a whirlwind of wintery passion. Not even an hour before the Kingdom had been its usual hot, summer temperature.

"Don't just stand there like idiots," the Queen yelled, "Someone fetch a different doctor! There are 150 people in this palace, someone must be able to deliver a baby." Her head flopped back and she howled for emphasis. The guards scrambled into action and the girl bowed before filing out with them until it was only Alice and Edward.

"Just think of the extra presents he'll receive," Edward said, trying to distract her from the pain, "He'll be the most spoiled Prince all around."

Alice smiled weakly, thankful for what he was trying to do. "What, like you were?" she teased lightly.

"He'll be brave and strong," he kept going, the fire reflecting in his brown eyes, "Loyal, kind, handsome, everything a King should be."

Alice had turned her head towards the window to watch the storm outside. It reminded her of her own home country which she had left many years ago to join Edward in Arendelle. The pain had not let up like it usually did. "She," Alice said quietly. She turned back to face Edward who had a cute look of confusion she adored. "I didn't want to say anything, but I think she is a Princess." Edward shook his head.

"But you have all brothers and I have 3 younger ones. The possibility of our baby being a girl is-"

"Stranger things have happened," she insisted waving at the abnormal storm. Alice cried out as the pain reached a peak and became unbearable, splitting her stomach open with the force of it.

**Ending Note: Her stomach didn't really split open. Just a figure of speech. Part 2 will be up as soon as I get it typed out. **


	2. Chapter 2

The door to the room burst open and a wave of older women rushed in, making the room instantly warmer and slightly stuffy. With no regards for the King they jostled and pushed him out of the way so they could set up a chair Alice would sit in. A dark skinned woman sent a guard to fetch hot water and towels while she helped Alice into the chair. Edward watched curiously as they all converged on his wife, whispering soothing things and cutting away parts of her dress. A lantern was lit and hung on a hook next to the bed while the black woman peeked under Alice's skirts.

She turned and smiled at Edward beckoning him over. He approached cautiously, afraid she'd make him look, but she just pushed him next to Alice who reached for him desperately. "This baby's gonna be born tonight Your Majesty, ain't no doubt about that. My name's Marianna and I work down in the kitchens, but this isn't my first time birthing a baby. It's an honor." She glanced at Alice and patted her hand comfortingly. "You're going to do fine sweetie. Just remember to breath. And sir, keep a tight hold on her hand and when I tell her to push you make sure she's breathing. Understood?"

She'd talked so fast and had such a demanding voice Edward nodded without a second thought and got himself comfortable for a long night. A deep bowl of clear water was brought in along with more towels than seemed necessary. Edward looked at Alice who seemed to be having trouble keeping eye contact with him. He squeezed her hand back. "We can do this." He whispered.

The next few hours were one's King Edward could never forget. It seemed to go a lot quicker than it did and was a loud, messy operation with many threats and promises on his life. There were a couple moments where Edward wanted to scream back at her, but he kept his cool and murmured soothing things to her as she gripped his arm and left nail marks. When Marianna told her to push he thought he'd never heard someone scream so loud.

With every cry of pain and curse word that left her lips the wind outside howled with her, adding to the noise and combining into a screech. The storm was alive; knocking at the window, seeping through the castle walls, anything and everything outside was blown away by a cloud of white.

But the one thing that stuck with Edward for years after was the singing. Over all the screaming he heard the entertainers coming to the end of their performance and a song rose above the clamor of the wind. Alice was told to push one last time and he listened intently to the music creeping down the corridors and into the room.

_Joy to the world! The Savior reigns_

"Come on Your Majesty!"

_No more let sin and sorrow grow_

"Last time, he's almost here."

_He rules the world with truth and grace_

_And makes the nations prove_

_The glories of His righteousness_

_And wonders of His love_

With the last notes fading a new sound entered the room. Over Alice's heavy panting and relieved sobs a baby cried. It was an earsplitting noise that didn't let up for a minute. To Edward nothing had sounded so beautiful. That was his baby. That squirming, morphed, ball of flesh and bones was his child and she was finally here to greet the world.

"Congratulations, it's a girl!" Marianna cheered over the cries. She quickly wiped the Princess off and wrapped a thick blanket around her frail body. The other women rushed about cleaning up the mess left behind by the birth. As Edward reached for his daughter he thought he saw Marianna hesitate, but then she smiled and handed her to him. "She's got a healthy set of lungs too."

She sure did. The baby cried like the world had done her a huge injustice and she was screaming to be heard. In the dim light Edward could just make out Alice's nose and his stubborn set of lips. A tiny wisp of blonde hair covered her scalp and her small fists waved at the air with a vengeance.

"She's beautiful," Edward murmured; a perfect mix of his wife and him. The King handed over his child to Alice's waiting arms. As tired as she looked she still held the Princess upright and gazed at her in admiration.

"Won't you stop crying so Mama can see your eyes child?" Alice choked out through fresh tears. Their daughter's face was scrunched up and her eyes squeezed shut. "Come child, see the world."

With a hiccup and some more sobbing their daughter's tears finally stopped and she cracked one eye open. The other followed suit until they were both searching the room and the multitude of faces. Her eyes were the color of a frozen lake with deep blue centers that still managed to look sharp and calculating, even in an infant form. They reflected the light of the lantern and Edward saw small cracks of icy blue near the outside. "What will we name her?" Alice asked. The nursemaids, who had been gushing moments before, grew quiet and no one noticed the storm receding outside, so focused were they on the baby.

"Elsa," Edward murmured, "After my grandmother." A whisper travelled through the room and many of the maids bowed their heads in respect.

"Hail Princess Elsa of Arendelle," they whispered. "Long live Elsa." Minutes passed before Elsa began crying again.

The King stood, knees popping, and addressed the ladies in the room. "We'd like a few moments alone please. Spread the news as far as you can and apologize to our guests. Find Kai and tell him to bust open the wine in the basements. The best he can find." He took a deep breath to steady his nerves which were on their ends tonight. "Fetch the doctor in the village too and send him up immediately to check on Elsa." Even the King couldn't help the grin stretch across his face. "Tell the guests the Princess Elsa has been born."

The women jumped into action, most hurrying back to their duties, and some carrying out Edward's orders. Only Marianna stayed. "11:57. Cutting it quite close there Miss Elsa." She stated softly. Elsa was too busy bubbling up at her mother to notice much else. Marianna turned to leave, but as she passed Edward she bent to whisper in his ear, "She's freezing, sir. I've never felt a living babe so cold before. I don't know the reason, but keep her wrapped up tight." He nodded in understanding, glancing at Elsa who did look unusually pale for a newborn.

Then the King and Queen were alone with Elsa who had decided to watch the snow falling out the window with her intense blue eyes. Edward sat on the bed and watched his wife rock Elsa slowly as if she'd been doing it her whole life. After a couple minutes Alice spoke up softly, "A Prince, eh?" she asked. Edward laughed and kissed her hard on the mouth before placing a hand on Elsa's cool cheek. Her skin was cold as ice. He made his way to the wardrobe in the corner and pulled out a blanket. Partly to save Alice's dignity and partly because of Marianna's warning. He didn't know why Elsa was like she was, but he was sure the Doctor had an explanation for it.

"She's perfect." He whispered, throwing the blanket around his family. "She'll still be the most spoiled." Sitting next to his wife they watched as Elsa's eyes slowly drifted shut and her soft whining stopped. It was a shame to see such a splendid color disappear, but they knew they had plenty of time to see it in the future.

Neither of them noticed the storm outside stop altogether, or the fact that over in the corner of the room frost was forming on the windowsill. And it only took them a couple years to figure out why every time Elsa was upset the room would drop 20 degrees. Then there was the whole fun of telling her it was not OK to make it snow in the library when she wanted to.

Meanwhile, the people in the ballroom had taken a moment to lift their refilled goblets to the ceiling and repeat the maids, "Hail Princess Elsa," they called, "Long live Elsa!"

**A/N: And that's my take on things. I can't take all the credit though. I read a story somewhere that gave me the idea of Elsa being born JUST before Christmas. Pretty awesome. Anyways I have a lot of really good ideas for this, but they'll center on Anna and Elsa mostly and their life as sisters, pre-movie and post. So drop a comment my way if you're feeling up to it.**


	3. Chapter 3

Nightmares

"Elsa!"

It wasn't the whisper that woke Elsa up. She'd been lying awake in her bed for the past 30 minutes, listening to the whimpers and thrashing sheets of her sister across the room. She was a light sleeper and Anna always had vivid nightmares. It used to scare Elsa before, when she'd wake up from a deep sleep to Anna's screams, but now she was used to the distressed calls coming from the little girl's mouth. She knew all she had _to_ do was wait patiently till Anna woke herself up and the younger sister would come to her bed whimpering with fright. Tonight was no exception.

"Elsa!" the call came again, this time a bit more frantic. Elsa waited a couple moments before turning over to reply.

"What?" she whispered into the dark. Bed springs squeaked and a loud thump was heard. Anna came running into sight, holding her head. Her brown hair was pulled into 2 short ponytails that their mother had probably done before bed.

Without needing to ask, Anna hauled her small 4 year old body up into the bed and Elsa immediately made room for her. They lay next to each other for a couple minutes, silently staring at the canopy above Elsa's bed. Finally Elsa broke the silence, "What were you dreaming about?"

Anna wasn't a very hard child to read. She spoke her mind and often it got her in some trouble. Like the time she asked one of the kitchen staff why her skin was a different color. The lady hadn't seemed to mind, but Mama and Papa weren't too pleased.

So once she started talking there was no shutting her up. "Well there was this huge bird, right, and I was stuck on this hill, only it wasn't a hill, but a nest where this huge bird had her baby eggs. And this bird was trying to feed me to her babies and only I started kicking and screaming at them, ya know how Kai does to the birds in the garden? But they just kept trying to eat me!" This went on for several minutes, complete with hand motions and random fists at the air. "And oh Elsa, I was so scared!" she finished with a dramatic intake of breath. Elsa rolled her eyes, but pulled her sister to her anyways. This is usually how the nightmares worked. Anna would get it all out in a, in her mind, crazy horror story then Elsa would hug her until she calmed enough to fall asleep. She would never admit it, but Elsa liked when her sister depended on her like this though she acted annoyed when it was brought up.

Tonight seemed different than the others somehow. Instead of falling asleep like she usually did Anna pulled away sharply and shivered. "Why are you always so cold Elsie?" she asked crossly, jutting her bottom lip in a pout.

Elsa cringed. Mama and Papa had told her Anna was too young to know about her powers so she'd been very careful not to do the magic when the young girl was around, but she couldn't help the icy temperature of her skin. She completely forgot that other people could feel cold when she herself couldn't.

So Elsa shrugged bitterly wanting more than anything to tell her sister everything about the snow she could create. What did Papa know anyways? _He_ didn't have any magic. "It's just so weird," Anna whined jumping up and hopping around the bed with a sudden burst of energy. "No one ever wants to get near you. Ronald in the kitchens is always complaining about serving you breakfast and being too close. He calls you the Ice Princess because you're so cold." She whispered dangerously, flopping down by Elsa who had sat up.

"He does not!" Elsa said indignantly, a bit louder than she intended. The nickname slightly stung.

"Does too!" Anna giggled, impervious to her sister's embarrassment. "He told me so! He says the cooks talk about how you can change the weather, but I didn't believe him. Because you would tell me, right? You would tell me if you could do something like that?" her eyes got as big as saucers, the exact shade of brown as Papa's.

Elsa was too angry to speak. How dare they talk about her? How dare that Ronald boy tell Anna such an important secret? She'd show him Ice Princess. Next time he went to say something, she'd freeze his lips shut. Elsa glanced at Anna who was still looking at her with big puppy dog eyes. The older girl slid out of bed and put on her slippers. She crossed the room to open the door quietly. No guards were in the corridor, probably out patrolling some other part of the castle. "Get your slippers and follow me," Anna squealed with excitement and fell out of the bed as ungraceful as a Princess could get. "And be quiet." She said sternly when she heard Anna smack a limb on her dresser.

Together the sister's tip toed from the room. Anna skipped around corners and bumped into walls, snorting loudly. It was only with Elsa's sharp eyes and ears that they didn't get caught because of her childish antics. If they were caught out of bed, Papa would not be happy.

They came to a stop before the arched doorway of the ballroom and Anna crashed into her sister's back. "What are we doing, Els-" Elsa put a hand over her mouth quickly. She heard the man before she saw the lantern swinging towards them from down the hall. Elsa shoved Anna into the room, which was fortunately empty, and shut the door before the guard could see them out after curfew. Her hand stayed put on Anna's mouth and her ear pressed to the thick wood as the guard's boots shuffled past and faded into nonexistence. Only then did she remove her hand which was covered in slobber.

"Ew Anna," Elsa complained. She rubbed the hand on her nightgown, "Did you have to lick me?"

"You don't taste good either," Anna rubbed her tongue furiously, "That's what you get. What are we doing here anyways?" she crossed her arms and tried to look angry, but it didn't exactly work on Elsa who knew Anna could never get angry with anyone.

"Just… watch," now that she was here about to do it, Elsa didn't feel to good showing off her powers. Papa had sternly told her not to and she'd never disobeyed him before. The idea made her uneasy. But they were her powers, she should be allowed to show who she wanted.

And Anna was her little sister, she'd never hurt her.

It took a second of concentration to summon the magic. Over the years it was easier and easier to pull on the ice she felt in her body and it only took a couple of tries to center it in her palm. Anna watched wide eyed as her big sister twisted her hands and a swirl of white and light blue color appeared from thin air. At first the shapes forming on her sister's hand didn't register as anything but pretty colors. But Anna was old enough to put 2 and 2 together.

"You are an Ice Princess!" she exclaimed, leaping back. The magic disappeared and Elsa stared at her sister, hurt by her insensitivity.

"I am not!" she argued, "Look," with stomp of her foot thin ice spiraled from her foot across the room, covering the floor and causing Anna to slip and fall on her butt.

"That was mean!" she cried, trying to stand up and failing. She'd banged her shin pretty hard, but she was always hurting herself. Elsa skidded over to help her up. She had a lot more practice with ice than Anna did.

"I'm sorry Anna," Elsa held her close to her side and gently pulled them backwards till they were skating slowly in their slippers, "I didn't think you'd fall over. I just wanted to show you what I could do," Elsa laughed loudly, "But it was pretty funny." Anna scowled, but even she laughed at her own mistake.

"Why didn't you tell me Elsie? Does Papa know? Does everyone 'cept me know?" she hiccupped.

Elsa sighed and ruffled her sister's hair lovingly. "I couldn't tell you. Papa didn't want you to know till you were old enough. But you know now so what do you want to do? I can even make snow if you want to have a snowball fight." She waved a hand and sharp bitter wind entered the room and large puffy flakes fell on the 2 who were balanced on the ice. Anna reached for the snow, wonder etched on her face. She'd never seen anything like it, but she'd heard about places where there was tons of the white stuff.

"This is amazing!" she shrieked, jumping and sliding around, trying to catch the snow before it hit the ground. Elsa followed the example until the whole room was alive with their laughter and the silent storm of white.

Elsa had never had someone to play in the snow with. Except for the castle staff, no one knew about her magic and that meant no one could play with her when she got bored. This was _fun._

Once the room had filled with snow up to their ankles and they were no longer sliding on the ice under their feet Anna stopped and picked up a handful of the snow. She stared at the packed slush in her hand and glanced at her sister, but instead of throwing it like Elsa thought she would, Anna hesitated. "Kai told me about snow once. He told me that most kids built-" she stopped looking around nervously. "I don't know if he was kidding or not and I don't really know how, but," she smirked at Elsa mischievously and held the ball of snow out to her sister who smiled back encouragingly, "Do you wanna build a snowman?"


	4. Chapter 4

Roses 

It wasn't Alice or even Edward who discovered Elsa's powers. And the young girl was very close mouthed about the whole experience herself. She liked to think it was her little secret she never had to share with anyone and in her later years she looked back on it with fondness.

A castle gardener named Elliot had been working out in the courtyard on a nice April day. The wind was cool and the sun wasn't too hot, the perfect day to trim the hedges like he'd been meaning to. He got all the way around the left side of the enormous fountain when he heard soft crying coming from the rose bushes. He stared at the bushes a moment, ridiculous thoughts of the roses sobbing racing through his head, when he saw a tiny bare foot poke out from behind them. He sighed, relieved he wasn't actually crazy.

Elliot came around the bend to get a good look at whoever was hiding and found, to his utter surprise, Princess Elsa hunched behind the bushes and cradling something in her hands. Although he hadn't been around long enough to see the Princess in person he knew it was her, for no one had hair that white or skin that fair in Arendelle. Before he approached her Elliot looked around for the King or Queen. Seeing neither he resigned himself to the knowledge that this was now his problem.

As he came closer he cleared his throat loudly so he didn't scare Elsa by sneaking around. Her head whipped around so fast it made _his_ neck hurt and the thing she was holding was pushed behind her quickly before he could get a good look at it. She was a sneaky little kid. Wiping at her wet face furiously, she full on glared at him, like it was his fault she was here in the first place. "What do you want?" she asked indignantly. The way she looked reminded him of a baby tiger and he couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. The idea was hilarious.

"I'm sorry Your Majesty," the words seemed odd when talking to a 5 year old, but they were required, "I just heard crying and wondered what was wrong." Slowly, Elliot sank to the ground and sat cross legged in the grass. Elsa was quiet for a minute, watching his face for any signs of deceit.

"Mama and Papa are so busy with Anna they don't have time for me." She said quickly, like she's practiced those lines a thousand times. And she probably had. Elliot smiled knowingly. In town he was a notorious cards player and often won because of his extreme skill to tell when people were bluffing. And Elsa was lying through her teeth.

"Don't lie to me," he said, trying to sound stern. He didn't have any kids himself, but he thought he pulled the fatherly tone off nicely, "Are you going to tell me why you were really crying or should I tell the King?" the threat was underhanded and he knew it. He also knew he'd never get close enough to the King to tell him anything, but Elsa didn't know that.

She was scared of this dirt encrusted man. He stank like sweat and manure, but he also knew exactly when she was fibbing; which wasn't fair because she'd been told countless times how good of a liar she was. Using sneaky tricks like that to get what he wanted! But what if he really told Papa? Could she lie to him? Gulping past the sudden lump in her throat, Elsa shakily pulled the flower from behind her back.

Whatever Elliot was expecting, it was not a frozen flower. His mouth dropped open and his eyebrows lifted as he looked upon the red rose that was now a perfectly iced over sculpture. The light caught it and the detail and beauty of that small thing nearly took his breath away. "How did you…" he reached for the flower and Elsa dropped it into his palm like she was glad to be rid of it. Elliot felt the coolness of the ice and marveled at how smoothly it was shaped. Almost like a glass flower. Even the stem and thorns were frosted over.

"I- I didn't mean to," Elsa stuttered, fresh tears pouring down her face, "I just wanted to pick a flower for my Mama and it just- it just happened. I- I killed it didn't I?" she covered her eyes with her hands and sobbed into them. Elliot looked away from the flower and at the little girl shaking on the grass.

"Oh Elsa," he said gently, "It's not dead. Look you preserved it! Do you know what preserve means?" he leaned over to pry her fingers off her face. She shook her head sadly, still not looking at him or the flower. "It means this flower is going to live forever. If it stays in the ice like this, the rose will never die. Ice can't hurt roses anyways, they're a tough little flower, they are." He realized he was starting to ramble and with a huff he moved closer to Elsa and placed the rose in her small palm gently, curling her fingers around it. "Did you say you did it? Do you know how?" Elliot had heard stories of sorceress's with terrible powers, but he couldn't picture the Princess as an evil witch. Still, it was always better to be careful with magic like this.

Elsa stared at the flower and her empty hand curiously. "I don't know how I did it. I just… reached out to pick the rose, ya know being careful about the thorns, and when I touched it I had this tingly feeling in my stomach. Then when I pulled the rose off it was like that." She looked up sharply, with wide pleading blue eyes, almost the exact color of the icy rose. Suddenly she jumped up with her hands clenching and unclenching. "I tried to stop it I swear! I concentrated real hard and told my stomach to change it back, but it wouldn't listen and… I'm sorry." She repeated exhaustively. The energy seemed to leave her just like that. Elliot chuckled deeply and moved so he was balancing on the balls of his feet to look in her eyes.

"Elsa this doesn't make you a bad person. It just makes you… special," he didn't really know if it was his place to tell the Princess of Arendelle her ice powers weren't bad, but he didn't like seeing her so sad about something so beautiful. The sight nearly broke his heart, "Maybe it was just a fluke or- or maybe one day these powers of yours are gonna come in handy. All I know is they're nothing to be afraid of." He insisted, pulling her hand up to her face so the rose glimmered in the light, "See how pretty that is! If you could make everything look this good, how could that possibly be a bad thing?" he assured her sweetly. She smiled toothily and he noticed a gap where she'd lost one. "Just remember there's beauty in everything, even something as small as this." He reached over and plucked a rose from the bush. He traded the ice one for it and Elsa flinched before relaxing when she saw the rose stayed the same light red color.

"Are you sure I won't hurt it?" she asked, eyeing it suspiciously as if it might grow legs and start tap dancing. Elliot nodded and slipped the ice rose in his shirt pocket. He felt the cold through the thin material.

"What did I say about roses? They're tough little flowers. They can survive any kind of ice you could throw at them. They kind of remind me of you actually. Pretty and tough, but once you take the thorns off," he peeled off the couple of thorns, ignoring the slight stings, "Just a delicate flower."

Elsa laughed and threw her arms around Elliot's neck, still holding the rose. "Thank you so much! I'm going to go give this to my Mama," She started to run back towards the castle, but looked back at Elliot who was still sitting behind the bush, "You won't tell my Papa will you?" she whispered.

"No, but maybe you should do that. I think it's something he'd want to know." He picked up his hedge clippers which lay forgotten by his waste bag, "Now run along, I have work to do." Elliot watched as she ran through the maze of flowers and back up the path. As Elsa passed the trees he thought he saw a tiny bit of frost gather on the edges of the leaves, but he closed his eyes and shook his head. His brain had had enough strangeness for one day.

That night as the family sat at the dining table and King Edward asked how Elsa's day had been, Elsa proudly presented her flower and pulled on the growing feeling in her stomach. It wasn't easy, but soon the flower started to shimmer. When the transformation was done Queen Alice nearly fainted at the sight of the iced over rose and Edward screamed some unholy words, knocking over his bowl of soup. Anna just clapped her infant hands and giggled like a maniac at the pandemonium.

Elsa held high her beautiful creation.

* * *

><p>Many years later Elliot would look at the flower, encased in a box on his mantle, still a perfect ice sculpture and think of the Queen with tenderness. Even if she had frozen over the Kingdom and set off an eternal winter he couldn't help but think how much beauty there was in it all.<p>

**A/N: This was by far my favorite to write. The idea comes from the guest that reviewed(thank you unicorn) and I had such an inspiration for it, I wrote it in like 2 hours.**


	5. Chapter 5

Spare

Anna skipped alongside her mother, tugging her skirts insistently and jumping around her. "Please Mama! Can't we _please _go into town? I promise I'll be good this time and everything." The last time they'd gone she'd accidentally knocked over an entire stall of jewelry, but she had said sorry, and that counted right? "Oh or maybe we can see the new play in town!"

"No Anna," Alice sighed, turning a corner, "I'm too busy today." Anna crossed her arms and pouted.

"Will I see you tonight?" she begged, not willing to give in, though she could see her mother's patience wearing thin. "We were reading a story together last time you tucked me in."

Alice laughed shortly, "Aren't you a bit too old to be read a story? We don't even tuck your sister in anymore."

"Yeah, but that's Elsa," Anna scoffed. She rolled her eyes and blew the bangs out of her face, "She never wants to do _anything _fun."

"Your sister can't afford to have fun," the Queen scolded lightly. Already a headache had sprouted behind her eyes, "She's in training to rule Arendelle someday. With that and her studies she doesn't have time to play."

"You're all too busy to do anything other than work, work, and work." Anna complained. "Will I be like that when I get older?" she asked, immediately reanimated with curiosity. "Will I have to train to be queen when I'm older Mama?" Anna kept pestering her mother, pulling her hand and doing little spins. "I don't ever want to grow up. Being a grown up seems awfully boring." Alice kept walking, used to the excited nature of her daughter, but still wondering whom she had got it from.

Before the Queen could answer Anna accidentally bumped into her hip and sent her sideways into the wall, nearly ripping her dress.

"I'm sorry!" Anna squeaked, hopping back and covering her mouth with her hand. "I didn't mean to!"

Alice wasn't listening. She was on her last nerve for the day and Anna had crossed the line, "Oh Anna!" she exploded in a moment of anger. "How could you ever be a Queen when you're always acting like a silly, little girl? Can't you be more like Elsa and grow up?" Anna flinched away from her mother as if she'd been slapped, but Alice didn't seem to notice as she continued exasperatedly, "Now will you please go do something with yourself? I have things to do." she threw the council chambers door open and strode inside with a huff of annoyance.

Anna stared dumbfounded at the door for a moment before she felt a sting at the back of her eyeballs. Mother had _never _said anything like that to her. The familiar pressure of tears threatened to overwhelm her, but she didn't want to cry in the hallway where anyone could walk by and see her. She sniffled pathetically and ran down the corridor nearly tripping over her own feet. Ever the clumsy princess, she thought bitterly.

When she rounded a corner she felt a solid body before she crashed to the ground. Her anger momentarily Anna scrambled to apologize, but saw that it was only a kitchen boy named Ronald. He'd played with her on occasion when she was bored and knew he didn't need an apology. He looked disgruntled, holding a now empty basket. Dirty clothes were scattered everywhere. The two silently began picking them up.

"Where are you off to in such a rush?" Ronald asked crossly, "Are they serving chocolate in the great hall or somethin'?

"Nowhere," Anna answered lamely, "Just… running." She threw a handful of laundry into the basket.

"Well watch where you're going next time," he scolded hefting the basket onto his hip, "If I don't have these clothes down to the wash soon, the maid's gonna kick my ass." Even though Ronald was only a little older than Elsa, he was always using words like that. Anna couldn't help but admit she admired the older boy.

He started towards the steps that led down to the washroom. Anna bit her lip and grabbed his arm desperately. He wheeled around and smiled kindly. Ronald was a bit cranky, but he had a soft spot for Anna. "Do you think-" she hesitated, not knowing how to frame the question, "My mother told me I need to grow up and be like Elsa." Anna stated.

Ronald laughed, "Why would you wanna be like her? You're Anna," he ruffled her hair playfully and set the basket down. He had a feeling he was going to be there a minute, "And she's boring."

"I know," Anna exclaimed, "Why does everyone like her anyways? She never talks to anyone in the castle." It was a rhetorical question, but Ronald answered it anyway.

"Well she's beautiful, athletic, smart, and I heard she writes poetry," Anna glared at him and he threw his hands up in defense, "It's the truth."

"If she's so perfect why was I even born?" Anna plopped down on the ground, leaning against the cool stone walls, not caring about getting dirt on her dress. "I'm just a screw up. Who would want me around when they could have Elsa?"

"There's a saying some of the kitchen staff use when they're serving you or your sister," Ronald said uneasily, "'The heir and the spare.'" It took Anna a moment to wrap her mind around it and he cleared his throat uncomfortably.

"So I'm just a… spare?" her lower lip quivered and Ronald slid down to sit next to her. "I'm just around in case things don't work out with Elsa? Like a stupid extra wagon wheel."

"_I _don't think you're a spare Anna. You're way more fun than your sister. And you can do things she can't." Ronald encouraged.

"Like what?" Anna asked bitterly, "I'm not smart, no one wants me around, and I'm not going to be queen."

"If Elsa wanted to do what she wanted she'd have to wait until after studies. And she has to stay cooped up in that awful room all day. You get to have all the freedom you want because you're only a princess. No responsibilities and no chores," he gestured at the basket, "Can't you see how much luckier you are? And no one hates you. I don't even think the Queen could." His kind words helped heal the pain in Anna's heart by a little. A little bit of faith was restored.

"You're right!" Anna jumped up, "I'll be the best princess Arendelle has ever seen. I'll have enough fun around the castle to make Elsa jealous of _me. _She'll be asking Mama if _she _can be a princess too." She crossed her arms smugly and Ronald hopped up next to her.

"That's the spirit, kid," he crowed, "You show them you're not just a spare! You're the life of the party!"

"Ronald!" a voice screeched. A plump woman thundered down the hall towards them. Ronald's excitement deflated quickly, "You pick those clothes up and get them to the wash right this instant!" He scurried to follow her directions, almost falling on his face. He hobbled, red faced in the direction of the stairs, weighed down by the multitude of clothes. Anna felt sort of sorry for him, but the mean lady hadn't noticed her yet so she backed slowly down the hall and out of sight, holding back the laughter threatening to burst from her chest.

It was odd how just a few minutes ago she'd been ready to run away because no one wanted her and now all felt right with the world. She was still sure her Mama and Papa didn't like her around, but now she didn't care. It stung a little, sure, but that's what it's like being the spare, she guessed. Sometimes you get pushed aside. Sometimes the heir was more important and sometimes you got ignored, but it was all for the greater good. Elsa could have their parents because Anna had a _whole _castle all to herself.

And she was OK with that.

**A/N: I don't like this chapter. I apologize for the crappiness of it all and I promise the next will be better. The ideas just stopped flowing for this one.**


	6. Chapter 6

Prince Benjamin

It was the perfect day for a picnic. The sun was shining, the wind was blowing a nice cool breeze on the people stuck outside, and the sky was a beautiful light blue that stretched to the snowcapped mountains above Arendelle. It was that time of day when the adults were just getting off work in town and were heading home to their families and couples were strolling along the cobblestone streets just enjoying the nice day together.

Princess Elsa was packing her tea set into a wicker basket threatening to spill. She'd just finished her studies for the day and was happy to learn it was cool enough for her to be outside… if she didn't stay in the sun too long. So she was getting together a nice lunch for Anna and her who was busy deciding which dolls would join their little adventure that day.

"What about Katherine?" the little girl mused, "I forget if she's sick or not." Anna held up a lovely doll with long, curly, brown hair.

"As long as we don't take Bonnie," Elsa said, playing along for her sister's sake, "She hates the garden as much as you hate peas." Anna giggled, throwing a plushy doll with button eyes back in the overflowing toy chest.

"She's grumpy like old Kai," Elsa followed Anna out of the room and down a set of wide steps that led directly to the castle's backyard. Many soldiers tipped their hats at the princesses as they walked by. "He yelled at me the other day. I was only playing in the library because it was raining outside and I couldn't get my new dress muddy. He threatened to tell Papa-"

"Oh how dare that crotchety old fool," Elsa cut off Anna before she could get too far into a rant she was famous for. There was something to be said of a spoiled princess with diarrhea of the mouth. Social graces must have skipped a generation.

When they exited the castle they were in an open corridor ringing a courtyard filled with hedges shaped like animals and bushels of flowers with butterflies sucking at their centers. It was the girl's favorite place to sit, talk, and have tea parties though Anna had only just gotten old enough to have any fun with it all. Elsa smiled as the spunky girl zigzagged through stone pillars, burning off energy that seemed to come from nowhere. She relished the fresh air, but stared at the sun wearily, remembering how sick she got when subjected to it for too long. Elsa took a deep breath and stepped out onto the freshly trimmed grass.

It wasn't nearly as bad as other times, but the sun still burned her alabaster skin. The doctor had told her parents the reason she got so sick in the heat was because of how cold her body was. It was like putting a block of ice on concrete. Figuratively, Elsa was melting.

"Elsie?" Anna skipped over and waved a hand in her sister's face. "Are you OK? Are you getting sick again? Should I get Papa?" Elsa was just standing on the edge of the courtyard, basket clutched in a tight grip, and staring at the little pond with 2 full oak trees for shade that was her destination. Anna's fear snapped her out of the trance and she wiped the sweat off her forehead with the back of her hand. When she pulled it away she was shaking.

"I- I don't think we can do this today, Anna," Elsa whispered, "It's too hot." She hated disappointing her sister, but the heat was making her stomach roll in an unsettling way.

"Just make it snow a bit!" Anna chirped, smiling at her brilliance, "Make it snow, make it snow!" she chanted, running to the pond and setting out the dolls. Her loud voice made Elsa flinch at the ringing it left in her ears.

But she had a point. After a quick glance to make sure no one was coming Elsa twirled her finger in the air until a small puffy gray cloud appeared above her head. She wasn't supposed to use her powers unless for good reason, but this was a good reason, right?

There was instant relief as the flakes touched her skin. The sun still shined down, but Elsa had created her own personal flurry. The snowflakes stayed frozen on her skin, beautiful little shapes, every one of them different. She knew better than anyone that no snowflake was the same. Anna cheered when she saw the cloud, but kept the requests for a snowman to herself. They were after all supposed to be having a picnic.

After getting the tea party started and the sandwich's out to eat, Anna took some bread crumbs to throw to the fish in the pond, but she had to go to the other side because the side Elsa was on was iced over. And even though it wasn't a deep pond, Elsa watched her like a hawk. Her sister often made small blunders that rocketed quickly into danger. Being that close to water made her nervous.

But for once Anna didn't trip and their picnic continued normally. Elsa played pretend with the dolls, poured fake tea into the china, ate her sandwich prepared by the finest cooks in all of Arendelle, and all the while the sun beat down on the two, not bothering Elsa one bit. The trees canopy helped a little, but her little cloud of snow helped keep the area cool. A little too cold for Anna, but she didn't complain.

Things were going so smoothly that neither of the sisters heard the boy approach. It wasn't until Anna jumped up to play in the sun did she accidentally run into him, falling straight on her butt with a gasp. Elsa's head whipped up when she heard her gasp and her snow cloud quickly dispersed at the sight of a strange boy with tan skin. He was laughing at Anna who was glaring from the ground.

"What's the big idea?" she shouted, red from embarrassment, "Sneaking up on us like that. Don't you have manners?" the boy stopped his snorting to smile at the girls.

"I said hello," he pointed behind him to the hall, "You just didn't hear me."

Elsa helped Anna up who dusted herself off. Remembering her etiquette lessons, she held out a hand to shake his, marveling at the difference in skin tone. Not even people in Arendelle were that dark. "And who might you be?"

"Yeah who are you anyways?" Anna echoed. Elsa threw her a look, _be nice._

The boy puffed out his little bird chest, "Prince Benjamin the third of the Northern Isles. My father is here on important business."

"I'm Princess Elsa and this is my little sister Anna. What business is he here on?" Elsa asked, smiling slightly. Prince Benjamin deflated slightly.

"I'm, uh, not sure. But it's important!" Anna rolled her eyes. She'd been watching the two with wide eyes. She was already over the fall and her mind had bounced back to the game she'd wanted to play.

"Do you wanna play with us Benjamin?" she asked politely. She looked to Elsa for the OK, but saw that her sister wasn't looking too good. Her normally fair skin was green and she looked like she was in pain.

"Depends on what we're playing. I wouldn't be caught dead with dolls and teacups," He answered pompously, "I don't know how they do it in Arendelle, but boys play swords and tag, so if I play we're doing either." He seemed to notice neither Princess was listening to him so he frowned. Some hospitality, he thought. First getting kicked out of his father's meeting with King Edward and now being ignored by the man's children. What a day.

"I'm sorry," Elsa whispered. "Can we go inside? The sun is killing me." Benjamin scoffed.

"It isn't nearly as hot as it is at my home. Ever seen a desert? That's the Northern Isles for you."

"We can play tag inside," Anna said heatedly, pulling Elsa along behind her. Once in the shade she felt a bit better, but she made a beeline for the stairs that led into the castle. Benjamin followed, more annoyed than curious.

Once inside Elsa slumped against a wall in relief, trying to calm down so her body could cool itself down. Benjamin skidded to a halt by Anna who was staring at her sister with wide, worried eyes. "What's wrong with her?" the prince whispered. Anna turned to him, eyes flashing.

"This is all your fault! If you hadn't come around, she wouldn't have made the cloud-"

"No, Anna," Elsa cut her off before she could say too much, "This isn't anyone's fault. I just have heat flashes," she looked to Benjamin who didn't look like he believed her, but he shrugged it off.

"So can we _play _now? Or are you allergic to that?" he asked mockingly. Elsa's fists clenched and unclenched in annoyance. It was a habit she couldn't seem to shake.

"Fine," she snapped. Walking calmly over to Benjamin she pushed his shoulder lightly and smiled, "You're it!" Both she and Anna took off in opposite directions catching the Prince off guard.

"No fair!" he shouted after them, taking chase, "You cheated!"

Soon the halls were filled with the laughter of the children. Servants and workers hugged the walls as the kids thundered past, yelling threats and insults over their shoulders. Benjamin first caught Anna, because she was younger and therefore much slower. Elsa let Anna tag her out of pity, knowing the little girl would be it all day if she didn't. She then cornered Benjamin who didn't know the castle as well and tagged him before darting away. Benjamin soon caught on and let Anna tag him a few times, but try as he might he couldn't catch Elsa. She was just too fast for him and this partly amazed him and partly hurt his young ego. Being beaten by a girl that was his age was blasphemy. He couldn't go back to his older brother like that.

Fortunately, Benjamin got lucky halfway through the game and drove Elsa to a dead end. They'd agreed early on they weren't allowed to enter rooms, because that was cheating, and Elsa was trapped. The prince took his time to tag her, sauntering over and poking her hard in the stomach, and all the time she glared at him. To be honest she'd let him catch her because she'd felt sorry for him, but now she was regretting the action seeing the smug look on his slim face.

"I caught you now you have to kiss me."

Elsa's mouth dropped open. "I have to _what_?" she spluttered, "That wasn't in the rules! If I had known that I wouldn't of let you catch me." She shouted indignantly, crossing her arms. She felt the heat rush to her cheeks. She wasn't going to _kiss _him. She'd known him for an hour.

Benjamin was still smirking, "Don't try to act like I didn't catch you fair and square. Anyways, all the girls in stories kiss the handsome prince," he turned his nose up, "Which I am."

"They kiss their _rescuer,_" Elsa argued, "I'm _not _kissing you. Boys are gross, especially stuck up princes like you." Benjamin looked like he'd been slapped hard. He honestly thought that's how these games worked. It wasn't supposed to be a big deal; just a useless kiss for catching her. Elsa was just being a stupid, complicated _girl. _

Angry at the fact she wasn't willing to play the game right, Benjamin leaned forward and smacked his lips against hers. He missed slightly because Elsa had pulled away sharply, but it still found its mark and when he pulled back to smile reassuringly at her he saw she was red to the roots of her blonde hair. And it wasn't from embarrassment he guessed. He held his hands up in surrender and took an involuntary step back as she took one forward. Her teeth and hands were clenched. "Listen," he started peacefully, "Don't blame me. That's how you play the game I tell you. I swear! My older brother Darren told me when you catch a girl she has to kiss you. You can ask him. It wasn't that big of a deal anyways. Was it really that hard-?"

His words were cut off suddenly. Panicking, Benjamin tried to speak again, but found his lips stuck together. The skin hurt when he tried to peel them open and he stared bug eyed at Elsa who smiled knowingly. Distressed whimpering noises came out of his throat, but his lips stayed frozen shut. He darted to a nearby window and looked at his reflection. The normally pink skin of his lips was now a solid light blue that refused to come apart. He raised a shaking hand to feel the cool skin. He turned back to Elsa who answered his unspoken question.

"You should have shut up," she teased. A long unbroken cry came from Benjamin and he took off down the hall, turning a corner and disappearing. Anna came skipping around at the same time and she watched him with a frown.

"Is the game over?" she asked innocently. Elsa grabbed her hand and pulled her down the hall. She didn't regret what she did, it was very funny after all, but when Papa found out she'd used her powers on someone else, she was going to be in so much trouble...

* * *

><p>"I never want to see that evil witch ever again!" Benjamin exclaimed, sipping his warm tea. His lips were still blue from being frozen, but as soon as he busted into his father's meeting King Edward seemed to know what happened and sent for a warm drink for the traumatized Prince. Fending off the King of Northern Isles questions he couldn't help but feel a little bit of pride in his daughter's actions. Especially after getting the <em>whole <em>story from Benjamin who had at first only said, "It was all Elsa's fault! I didn't do anything wrong." The boy was currently wrapped in a blanket and grumbling about how much he hated the princess and how much he hated Arendelle. King Edward clapped him on the shoulder and smiled.

"Trust me when I say they're all going to freeze you out at some point," his mind wandered to his wife, who was busy talking with Prince Benjamin's mother, "Especially the women in my family."


	7. Chapter 7

Family

The animal doctor threw aside another of many instruments and wiped the sweat from his face with a handkerchief. The lamps, although not very bright, gave off a tremendous amount of heat. Around him were the soft noise of horses and the sweltering itchiness of the hay stacks. He was currently sitting cross legged on the floor of the castle stables, surrounded by tools that seemed useless now. Just to be sure of the diagnosis he'd made, the doctor leaned forward and put his ear to the old reindeer's chest, right where his heart would be. A slow, broken thumping broke through and the doctor sighed heavily in defeat. There was nothing to be done. Packing up his scattered supplies, he took one last look at the reindeer who stared back with a strange understanding, then exited the stables to deliver his news.

Anna watched nervously as Kristoff paced back and forth outside the barn. It was very late and both were still dressed in their bed clothes. Kristoff had been very protective of Sven as of late claiming he was, 'Just not feeling well,' and had went to check on him one last time, and to sneak him a couple of carrots no doubt. He'd come bursting in their room minutes after he'd left, pale and shaking, crying for a doctor to come immediately.

Now they waited for the animal doctor to deliver his verdict on Sven. Anna was anxious; she'd never seen Kristoff so upset before and with him being just as restless as she, she wanted to jump up and hug him till he calmed down. But she stayed on the crate where she sat, praying to God that Sven was alright.

"I should've noticed before," Kristoff muttered, stroking the beard he was attempting to grow, "I just thought it was a cold and with a little extra heat he'd get over it. Why didn't I do something before?" his voice rose into a strangled cry. Anna stayed silent. For once in her life, she let someone else do the talking. "What if he's sick bad? What if it's pneumonia?" his face went white as a sheet, "Do reindeers get pneumonia?"

Anna finally spoke up, her skin itching to be moving, "I don't know Kristoff, but will you please calm down? This isn't your fault and I'm sure Sven is just a little sick," she jumped up and wrapped her arms around his middle and buried her face in his chest. She was barely shoulder height, and though his shoulders stayed tense, he stopped pacing at her touch. "Maybe it's something simple, like a phase he's going through," she wanted more than anything to believe Sven was fine, but she was faced with the fact Kristoff didn't seem to see.

Sven was old. As much as she had grown to love the strange animal, Anna couldn't help, but think of the average lifespan of reindeer and how long he'd lived past that. He was special, but nothing escaped… she couldn't even think the word.

"I'm afraid that isn't the case, Princess Anna," the animal doctor came out of the stables, pulling the doors shut behind him, "It's very hard for me to say this, but I- I don't think there's anything I can do for him now."

Suddenly Kristoff pulled away from Anna's tightened grip and slammed the doctor into the wooden wall. "What do you mean _nothing you can do_?!" he roared the question. Anna tugged on his thick arms to make him drop the poor man.

"Let him go Kristoff!" she yelled, throwing her weight into the pull, "This isn't his fault!"

Although he dropped the doctor he turned on Anna, his face red and his teeth gritted, "Then whose is it?" he growled, "Do you want to just give up on him? You don't care about Sven! You're selfish! Should we just let him- let him _die_?" his voice broke and he turned his back on her, his shoulders sagging in defeat. Anna stared at him with her mouth open. She reached out to touch him, but pulled back and turned to walk back to the castle, alone. Kristoff pretended not to notice. "How long?" he whispered.

"I'd say till morning. If I were you, I'd spend every second with him. I know he's an animal, but he seems like more, so make sure he isn't afraid when he goes," he walked past Kristoff to follow Anna back to the castle, but stopped and turned, "It isn't anyone's fault. It's just his time," then the man was gone and it was just Kristoff outside the stables.

_I can't do this,_ he thought, a tear sliding down his cheek. Everyone who knew Kristoff could tell you he wasn't the man to cry, but that was his best friend! His _brother_! He'd had no one for so long before he met Sven. He wasn't just a pack animal to him like other reindeer were to the ice harvesters. He understood Sven in a way that no other could. So Kristoff repeated the mantra in his head even as he pulled the stable door open. _I can't do this._

Sven was lying in the center of the building with his knobby legs tucked under him and his head resting on a pile of hay. His eyes were half closed and Kristoff saw clearly for the first time all the gray fur around his head. The breath left him in one shuddering gasp and Sven's eyes peeled open to look at him with dull brown eyes.

_ "What's wrong?" _Kristoff spoke for Sven, reading his expressions as well as someone might read a book. He dropped to his knees by his friend's head, _"Why are you so sad Kristoff?"_

"You're dying Sven," he whispered, "I don't know what to do. Tell me if there's anything I can do." He pleaded with his friend, hoping beyond hope this was just a cruel joke.

Sven turned his head away and heaved out a great sigh, _"Nothing to be done, Kristoff. I am dying. Don't be sad. It is how things happen. Animals die too."_

"But there has to be something!" Kristoff argued, "You can't just leave me here alone. When we were young you told me you'd be my family. That we'd be together forever and you'd _never _leave. What happened to that?"

_"I don't have a choice and neither do you,"_ Sven twisted his great head and lay it in Kristoff's lap, taking care not to hurt him with his antlers, _"I will miss being with you too." _He moaned a great wounded animal sound, shaking more tears out of Kristoff.

"So this is it then? This is where it all ends for you, for us?" Kristoff buried his head in Sven's fur, breathing in the pungent smell of reindeer mixed with his own tears.

_"I think so, friend, but this isn't the end I'm sure."_

"What do you mean?" Kristoff pulled away to look at his friend while he still had time, "Do you believe in something after? And how do you know it's the same for animals?"

_"I don't know, but I know I will be with you. I promised I would never leave and I won't."_

"That isn't how it works Sven."

_"It will have to be enough for both of us."_

There was barely any talking after that. The reindeer and his man friend lay in the loud, dirty stables waiting out the night, each dreading morning's arrival. The silence dragged on for hours as Sven's breathing got more labored and his movements more jerky. Kristoff thought back to when he's first met Sven. He was only a little guy, maybe 7 or 8, and he was alone in the mountains with no one. He hadn't been alone for very long, but long enough to be starving and desperate. He remembered thinking of the men in his old tribe who sometimes hunted deer in the mountains. When he saw Sven he'd thought, well this should be easy, he's so small.

Kristoff laughed aloud and recounted the story to Sven who was fading fast. "I almost caught you too," he chortled, "But you were smart, even as a young buck, you knew I was hungry and alone. You led me right to that camp of ice harvesters. Thanks, buddy." He whispered. Sven snorted, but it was weak. "If it wasn't for you, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't have been adopted by the trolls, and though they're not exactly family, they're the closest I've had in a long time. And if you hadn't taken me to that place where you knew they'd take care of me I wouldn't have met Anna. You're also the reason I came back to her."

Kristoff stared into Sven's eyes, but instead of words an odd connection passed between them. "Oh," he breathed, "I'm not alone. Not anymore. I have a family," he looked back to where the castle would be if he could see it, "I have my own family to look after now. Children and grandchildren, nieces and nephews, all of them are going to need me someday. I'm going to have a real family, thanks to you." Kristoff gulped past the lump in his throat, "Anna isn't too happy with me right now. She's upset that you're going to, but I yelled at her."

_"It will be OK. Anna is good person. She is nice to Kristoff."_

"Yeah it'll be OK now," he began petting Sven on the head, "I'll tell them all about you. My family, I mean. They're all gonna know about our adventures. Not just the Great Thaw, but before that to. I might even write a book," Kristoff leaned his head back and closed his eyes, "I love you Sven. Just remember that when you go where reindeer go. And thanks for always helping me to never be alone."

Sven had stopped talking, but Kristoff knew him well enough to know he told him he loved him too.

* * *

><p>Sven died before the sun came up. Kristoff lay there, hugging his huge body until his eyes ran dry and the sun started to rise above the mountains. He stayed until the body was cold and the stiffness set in. He made sure Sven was no longer there, before extracting himself from the reindeer and standing, muscles popping along his legs. He probably would have sat there longer, but stable boys were already walking in to do their work. He instructed them to not touch Sven's body, he would bury it later and they stared with wide eyes at the mountain man turned prince. With one last look at his best friend he made his way up to the castle and to his and Anna's bedroom on the 3rd floor. Surprisingly she wasn't asleep at all, but sitting on the edge of the bed, twisting her dark hair around her fingers. The purple bruises under her eyes showed him she'd stayed up most of the night. "I couldn't sleep," she confirmed, "I was worried about Sven… and you," she added, looking away in case he got angry again, "Is he-?"<p>

She didn't need to finish. Kristoff crossed the room in 3 long strides and sank to his knees in front of her. He thought he was done crying, but a fresh set of tears poured out of his eyes as he kept repeating, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," his face pressed to her stomach. Her small hands cradled his head to her as she cried with him, mourning the loss of a valuable friend, brother, and savior.

Several hours later a small funeral was held for Sven. Kristoff wanted to dig the hold himself so it took a while, but he was a strong man. Elsa offered to show, but he knew she was busy being Queen so he told her it wasn't necessary. So it was just Anna, Olaf and himself, standing around a pile of fresh earth that held his friend. He'd buried carrots in there with him and hoped one day they would sprout up or something.

"Goodbye Sven," Olaf said happily, but he said everything happily, "I hope you had fun around here and all. I'll miss you." He patted the ground lovingly.

"He loved you, ya know?" Anna said, clinging to Kristoff's arm for support, "He loved everyone, but especially you."

Kristoff wasn't ready to smile yet, and it would quite a bit till he did, but he grimaced painfully at the comment. "I know he did. He worked so hard all his life to make sure I was never alone and was really loved. To make sure there would always be a family for me. Whether it is ice harvesters, trolls, or you, he made sure I had someone who would miss me when I was gone." He stopped there, thinking about how long a human's life is and how long he was going to spend it missing his best friend.

**A/N: A male reindeer's average lifespan is older than 10. By the time Frozen came around Sven was already 13. This is a couple years after the events of the movie. Anyways, Happy Valentine's Day! Or Happy Friday if you're single. I figured this one shot would be fitting on the day of love. Thanks for reading and I'll see you all sometime next week.**


	8. Chapter 8

Frostbite

Anna watched from her side of the bed as Kristoff pulled on a pair of thick woolen pants over his under clothes. He would be travelling far up the mountains where the air wasn't as warm and summery as Arendelle. He hadn't seemed to notice she was up yet, due partially to the fact Anna never woke before the sun was up. And it was _very _early in the morning.

Some ice harvesting friends Kristoff had grown up with sent him a formal invitation to join their group up the mountains to a clean lake they'd discovered. They had been unsure if he still liked to harvest ice after marrying the princess, but he assured them he hadn't given up his day job for a life of luxury. After writing back, Kristoff packed a sled full of tools and was heading out early to catch up with the group. Usually he visited a lake closer by, but the sound of a weeklong expedition into the mountains with a group of friends excited him like nothing else. It reminded him of old times with Sven.

This wouldn't be the first time he was leaving on ice business, but he'd be gone far longer than a couple days. It always made Anna nervous when Kristoff left her alone, afraid he wouldn't come back from the dangerous job he loved so much. Before the daring stories of slip-ups and mistakes excited her, but now it was his life in danger and she didn't find them so appealing anymore. She was torn between wishing him a good time and begging him not to go.

By the time the sun was peeking over the distant hills, miles from Arendelle, Kristoff had stuffed a small pack full of fresh clothes and water skins. It was still an odd feeling, not packing food for a trip like he used to, but that was just one of the many things that came with royalty. He had people waiting on him hand and foot; ready to do whatever he needed to be done. Sven had even been groomed the night before and outfitted with special shoes that helped him grip the tough, mountain cliffs. Kristoff grabbed his heavy fur coat and hooked it onto his full pack, easily lifting it over his shoulders. Before leaving, he padded quietly over to Anna's side of the bed and sat softly on the edge, it bent under his weight. She had been lying on her back staring intently at the ceiling, eyebrows furrowed and lip puckered. When Kristoff sat down she looked over at him and he smiled warmly. Leaning over her, he put one hand around her waist and gently tugged her closer, kissing first her forehead and eyelids before settling for a long, slow kiss on the lips. He felt the pout disappear almost instantly.

When he pulled away he found his goal reached and Anna had a small smile on her face. Although it was still bitter, "I'd give it a week at least. Sven moves slower when we go with a pack, but if weather permits, I'll hurry back to you."

"You'd better," Anna said fiercely. She sat up and wrapped her petite arms around his broad shoulders and hugged him close. Kristoff buried his face in her soft brown hair and squeezed back, knowing she needed this. He knew how much she hated being alone in this big castle. Suddenly she pulled back sharply, knocking Kristoff in the chin. Her hands flew to her mouth, "Oops! Sorry, sorry," she giggled, suddenly wide awake at the idea coursing through her head. "Take me with you," Anna demanded as Kristoff rubbed his bruised chin. At the suggestion he nearly choked on his spit.

"Bu- but I thought you _hated _ice!" he sputtered, completely caught off guard, "You're constantly nagging about my job."

Anna glared and crossed her arms, "I do not _nag_," she insisted, "And I love ice. My sister basically controls the stuff, how could I hate it?" That wasn't technically a lie. Anna really did love ice. She thought it was beautiful, especially the things Elsa could do with it, but she did have a certain aversion to Kristoff's job with ice. No matter how necessary for the kingdom it was, she would never be OK with him risking his life for it. Her husband stood up and smirked down at her and raised an eyebrow.

"There's no fooling me, Anna. I know you and you hate my job. Besides, it's too dangerous for you. If you got hurt I'd never be able to live with myself. You're too precious to me." This was obviously the wrong thing to say because his wife's face went red with anger and she scrambled out of bed and past him. He groaned internally. It was never easy with her.

"I'm not some fragile, porcelain doll that stays locked up in this tower, pining for you. If I want to go ice harvesting, I'll go ice harvesting. With or without you," She huffed, searching through her wardrobe. She found a nice, warm looking dress and went behind the screen to change.

"That's not what I meant and you know it," Kristoff argued, stomping over to the screen and peeking around the edge. Anna tossed her night gown at his face and he pulled back to avoid being hit. "Be reasonable, please," he pleaded trying a different tactic since fighting her fire with fire never seemed to work, "I don't want you getting hurt. Out on the ice I can't control what happens. You don't have experience out there and I can't watch you the whole time."

She stalked out from behind the screen, struggling with a tie in the back of a dark blue winter dress. Kristoff wasn't about to help her like he usually would. Anna was trying to act angry, but he saw the fire die a little in her eyes at what he said. "I want to go, Kristoff. I want to see why you love doing it so much. I can't stand being cooped up in this stuffy castle all day. And it gets so boring here without you," she wrapped her arms around his waist and stared up at him with big puppy dog eyes, effectively trapping him in place, "Please let me go with you," she whined childishly. Kristoff bit the inside of his cheek and looked away before her big brown eyes could pull him in.

But it was too late for all that. It was said that no one in the castle could resist Princess Anna and Kristoff was no exception to this rule. Even though his mind was screaming, very loudly, that it was a bad idea, his heart was saying, what could go wrong? Anna smiled in triumph when she saw the decision in his eyes. "Fine," he groaned.

"Yes!" she crowed, jumping up to kiss his cheek, "I'll go get my stuff ready and I'll meet you at the sled. You won't regret this; it'll be like an adventure." Anna ran into an adjoining room to grab her coat and probably ring for a maid.

"You have to stick by me though! No talking to the others!" Kristoff yelled after her, but he didn't think she heard him.

_Oh God, what have I done?_

* * *

><p>"Oh Kristoff, look at that!" Anna leaned over the sled as they careened up the last hill to the lake. She'd grown accustomed to Sven's speed and was no longer afraid to move around like she had been at the start of their journey. Kristoff still got nervous though and quickly pulled her back into the seat like a mother would a child. They had an interesting dynamic, the two. Anna was reckless, flighty, and easily angered whilst Kristoff was the perfect match to her tendencies, acting as a rock and grounding Anna when she got too far off.<p>

Which is what he'd been doing almost the whole trip. He didn't mind looking after her, it was what he'd signed himself up for anyways, but she was making it difficult with being so friendly. Kristoff only knew a handful of people they were travelling with and he knew how, um, _unfriendly_, ice harvesters could get when angered. Luckily everyone adored Anna's quirky and excited personality, taking to her quickly. She was the only woman in the group and they took advantage of the opportunity to be babied. Whenever they stopped for camp someone offered an extra blanket and a place by their fire. Anna declined politely only a couple of times before realizing they weren't going to stop asking. Now the whole thing got under Kristoff's skin. He didn't know what would be worse; all these big men taking his Anna or all these big men hating her guts.

At the moment Anna was bundled in furs, trying to keep extra warm as the sled rocked over the mountain slope. She stared fascinated over the snowy cliffs in the distance at the tiny speck she assumed was her home. Arendelle was far away now, where snow never fell unless Elsa willed it to. Living in a place where it was warm year round, it was hard to get used to the snowy mountains, but Anna loved it up there. Sure it was cold, but it gave her the chance to cuddle up to Kristoff's large body. To keep warm she insisted when he questioned her. She even loved the sharp feeling in her chest when she breathed in the crisp air. She understood why Elsa would disappear into the North Mountain.

"We're almost there!" a voice shouted from the head of the pack of sleds and reindeer. Some had horses, but they weren't the best in these climates. The leader of the group was Finch; an old friend of Kristoff's who he had shared many adventures with. Anna heard all the stories over the last 5 days. "Pitch your tent _around _the frozen lake. Am I right, Garret?" the hills sounded with laughter as the men chuckled at the expense of Garret who ducked his head in shame.

"When we get up there, get the picks out of the back while I get the tent set up. There should be a gray sheet you can set them on," Kristoff instructed. He turned to Anna and checked her hands for the hundredth time, "You'll tell me if your hands get cold? Are your toes feeling numb?"

Anna scowled, "I'm fine. Don't worry about me; just make sure we get enough ice to bring home. You will show me how to do it won't you?" she looked Kristoff over eagerly. After hearing how hard it was from the other harvesters she was determined to try the challenge of cutting ice.

Kristoff squirmed uncomfortably. He hadn't really planned on letting her near the deadly ice. He'd seen how fast something could go wrong, especially with a group this large working on the same ice. "I think you should hang back on this one," he said as gently as possible, "I'll take you to a lake closer to the castle, with less people preferably."

"But I came with you so I could-" she started. Kristoff cut her off neatly with a kiss.

"Please don't," he begged, "Not this trip. I'll show you some other time." Anna's cheeks burned when he stared into her eyes, but she didn't look away. Sven broke the tension by grunting softly as the party rounded the last corner and stopped on the edge of a massive sheet of thick ice. Anna jumped from the sled, weaving and dodging between men unloading their bags to the edge of the crystal blue lake. It was an amazing vast thing, at least 100 feet deep, and the water was still beneath the ice dusted with a light snow. It reminded her of the times when she was younger and Elsa created ice they could skate on. It was a foggy memory given it had been erased and brought back, but the fun was still there. Anna bounced back to the sled in exceptionally high spirits.

"Did you see how magnificent the lake looks? It's so beautiful. Do you think we'll get to skate on it? Oh I didn't bring any blades… well that's OK, we can just use our feet. Ice is usually slick enough," as she babbled on, Kristoff handed her the tools and instruments he would need to cut into the ice for the day. A couple younger men were scraping the snow off the pond as Finch followed with a marker for the ice blocks.

"We won't be able to skate on this at all," he explained, heaving out the ice saw he would first be using, "Since we're such a large group we'll have to work out from in. Ya know so we can get it all." Kristoff looked back at Anna who was still watching Finch and the others conduct business on the lake with an open mouth. He smiled to himself. "But maybe when we take a break we can try skating on the outskirts." Kristoff turned from the sled and pulled Anna closer to him by the waist. She was so tiny that for the first year he was almost afraid to touch her because of how small she was. Anna placed her hands on his chest and gave him a big goofy grin. He laughed loudly, turning the heads of people nearby, but just placed a kiss on her head and picked up the tent. "Wait here while I find a place we can sleep." He left her feeling a little better.

Not a minute after Kristoff had left another man approached. He looked way younger than anyone else in the group; smaller too. A mop of dirty black hair rested over big doe brown eyes and he smiled charmingly at Anna who waved excitedly. She had seen the boy at various campsites, looking lost and small with this rowdy party of mountain men. She didn't notice he'd been watching her too. And if there was one thing Pita Piper was good at, it was women.

"Hello, Princess Anna," he bowed clumsily, not used to the motion, "It's a pleasure to have you in our company. I think I speak for everyone when I say you are a shining light in these desolate mountains. My name is Pita Piper." He bent and kissed her hand, closer to her wrist where he felt her pulse jump.

"Oh, uh, thank you very much," Anna blushed at the compliment, used to getting overlooked, "So Pita," she cleared her throat, determined to make normal conversation, "What made you choose to be an ice harvester? You seem a bit young, honestly. But not too young, just younger than me which isn't a lot because I'm only 21 and- never mind." She saw the familiar fog in the boy's eyes as he nodded at whatever she was saying.

When she stopped talking Pita answered her question, "My father was an ice harvester until he died a couple years ago," he paused for the assured murmur of sympathy, "So I took over the business to keep a steady income for my family. I'm 19 actually," Pita winked smoothly, confusing Anna a bit more, "In case you were wondering. What brings you to this neck of the woods, Princess? You don't seem the type to start carving ice, if you don't mind me saying."

"My husband, Kristoff, brought me along so I could see how it's done. But I'm not going to be cutting anything. He won't teach me because of all the people." Anna took a step back from Pita who seemed to be cornering her between the sled and him. No matter how young he was, he was still taller than her.

"That's a shame," Pita pretended to think, "I have an idea though. Out here we're supposed to have partners who work with us in certain hard areas of the lake. I don't have one on this trip so maybe you can help me."

Anna squealed in delight. "Really? You'll really teach me how to ice harvest? Wait, what does a partner do?" She was instantly on guard because this was a stranger after all.

"Nothing too big. You can just hand me tools, keep me company, and make sure the ice isn't cracking when I'm cutting it."

Before Anna could answer Kristoff grabbed Pita's arm and spun him around, towering over the boy who flinched at the contact. "She's not going out on the ice," he growled, glaring. Pita curled his lip.

"She can do what she wants, Kristoff. Last time I checked a husband wasn't a prison warden." He spit back.

Anna scoffed and stepped between the 2. "Seriously, Kristoff? I'll be fine. I'm sure Pita is just as good as you. Anyways I won't be actually cutting. Just… watching up close."

Kristoff looked at Pita who was smiling smugly behind Anna's back. "I don't want you out there. You could get hurt. You're not careful where you step and ice isn't something you can just step on without knowing how."

"Everyone's getting out on the ice now, so…" Pita interjected, moving towards his own small sled and tools. He turned back to Anna, "You coming or not, Princess?"

Anna moved towards him, but Kristoff grabbed her arm desperately, "Anna don't do this. Some other time, I swear…"

She pulled away gently and kissed him, "It'll be fine. _I'll _be fine." She turned and followed Pita away into the crowd, leaving Kristoff to feel helpless.

* * *

><p>Kristoff watched from his lonely spot on the ice as Pita entertained Anna with the ice saw; showing her how to shove the tip directly between the lines drawn in the ice. He seethed with jealousy, but also determined to win the battle she'd started. If she wanted to learn, she wouldn't learn from him. The moon hung low in the sky, signaling a long night of back breaking work that Kristoff loved. Some of the men sang songs and the others whistled soft tunes into the wind, fighting the chill with manual labor.<p>

Everything went well. Kristoff kept an eye on Anna and Pita while he let himself get lost in the methodical act of pulling out ice chunks. Sven and the sled stayed next to him and the ice pile grew larger as the harvesters worked out from the middle of the lake. Sven was great company though. Making jokes about Pita none of the other harvesters could comprehend. Kristoff laughed the loudest and everyone, but a select few who knew him, stared like he was a crazy man.

It wasn't until after midnight that disaster struck. Kristoff was working hard on an outer layer, falling behind some of the others because of his lack of partner, when he an everyone else heard and felt the crack in the ice. It was a soft sinking feeling and he immediately looked down at his own feet, afraid he'd stepped wrong when he'd cut the ice. Kristoff's legs tensed, ready to spring to safety and Sven was alert, ears up. There was another shift in the ice and a sharp snapping noise followed by a splash.

The harvesters were well practiced at an ice break. Lucky for Kristoff he was travelling with a skilled group of men and as soon as the splash was heard all heads shot up, eyes roaming for a missing partner. Kristoff quickly looked toward where Pita had been carving a minute ago and was horrified to see the young man kneeling before a small jagged hole.

**A/N: Sorry it took me so long. This is another second parter and hoo boy! That's a cliff hanger if I ever saw one. Part 2 will be up in 3 days so don't worry about the long wait. Hopefully that won't happen again. And yes I'm aware this is a long one to those who read on their phones.**


	9. Chapter 9

Frostbite: Part 2

"Oh God, Anna! No!" Kristoff screamed. Everyone's attention flew to Pita who was still halfway under the ice, reaching for something. Kristoff knew she was slowly sinking down, unable to swim, probably scared witless. Wasting no time he ran his way carefully across the remaining ice of the lake. One wrong step and he'd plummet down into inky blackness along with Anna. What good would he be then? He pulled the emergency rope from his belt and quickly tied it around his waist, making sure it was in a tight knot.

Pita saw him coming and jumped away from the hole, his face green with worry. "I didn't see it coming!" he cried, "She was there talking when I heard the crack. I told her to move, I swear I did. She didn't move fast eno-" Kristoff threw the other end of the rope at Pita and slid into the hole, cutting his leg on the sharp edges. He hoped the idiot had enough sense to hold on.

In freezing water it took a moment for the nerves to get used to how cold it was. So when Kristoff's body was first submerged it didn't register the temperature change. He used the last precious feeling of warmth by diving deeper, arms and legs spread far to catch any kind of movement under the ice.

But once the cold seeped through his clothes, Kristoff fought the urge to waste his oxygen on screaming. It set his limbs on fire, locking his joints, and tightening his muscles._ Please just let me find her alive, _he thought as he sank deeper, and the light above disappearing. He kept his eyes closed, because even if they were open the lake was pitch black below.

After what seemed like hours of searching a boot connected with Kristoff's cheek, the force softened by the water. Reflexes jumped in and he caught the foot before it got away. Tugging at the struggling body, Kristoff reached to his waist and pulled sharply at the rope tied there. As soon as he felt the tension Kristoff was instantly relieved. Though his air was running out, he knew they would be alright.

Of course panic gripped him when they neared the surface and he felt Anna go limp, becoming a dead weight. The pull on the rope increased until Kristoff's head broke through the surface. He yanked Anna's head up with him, gasping and gulping air down the air into his throat. The mountain wind bit into his skin sharply, "Help her," he choked out hoarsely as several hands pulled them from the water, "Please, she's passed out. H-help her now!" the harvesters cleared a spot for the 2 and pried his hands from around Anna's neck and shoulder. His grip was so strong he'd left bruises on her pale skin. Kristoff's eyes didn't leave Anna when they placed her flat on her back and his friend Finch ripped open her dress at the top, exposing her chest. He began pumping at her heart with strong, sure hands.

It made Kristoff almost physically sick to see all these guys staring at Anna, but he knew the necessity of it. A man named Harper gave him a thick blanket and helped him over to his wife. Finch was leaning over her, holding her mouth open, head tilted back, and blew air into her lungs. He pulled back sharply when she jerked up, water spilling from the corner of her mouth. Anna's eyes fluttered open as she choked up the gross lake water. A moan of pain escaped her lips, "Kristoff…"

He helped her sit up, pulling her close to him. She was so cold. "Do you have another blanket? Is a fire made?" he called around to the unfamiliar faces. A couple of lanterns had been brought over so Finch could assess the damage done to the ice, but it was still too dark without the moon on the frozen landscape. Anna shivered delicately, trying to make her numb lips form words. Another blanket was thrown over the couple and Kristoff took care to wrap it tightly around Anna, glaring at the men who didn't avert their eyes at her nakedness until they looked away uneasily.

"Really smashed through the glass didn't ya, Princess? This spots completely ruined for picking," Finch chuckled, "Alright you lazy bunch of louts. Shows over, get back to work, I still want the outing at least carved before sun up," he helped Kristoff pick up Anna who was in far better condition than himself, "I'd get some warm clothes on her and a fire to warm her limbs, brother." He suggested kindly, clapping him on the shoulder. Finch had always been one of Kristoff's best friends growing up although he belonged to an actual tribe of people where's Kristoff had been adopted by harvesters. He was an easy going man, though his rough appearance told otherwise.

"Where'd Pita run off to?" Kristoff looked over the men who had continued their work. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Finch glance toward the tents where a small orange blaze could be seen. Some of the men were laughing and drinking around the hastily made fire, but just on the edge, looking towards them, was a small lean shape sulking in the shadows. For once in his life, Pita didn't look confident.

Anna coughed loudly, curling closer to Kristoff's chest. It was a cough that wracked her small frame, making his heart ache for the pain she must be in. Finch put a hand on his arm, "Leave it, brother. He's not worth the anger. Pita knows what he did wrong. He knows who she is and what would have happened if she died. Besides," he gestured at Anna who was currently trying to bury herself in both blanket and Kristoff's soaked clothes, "I doubt she'll want to stick around once she comes to her senses."

Kristoff looked down at Anna, his anger dissipating a little. He'd find Pita once he made sure his wife was safe. He had come so close to losing her, he'd never put her in this danger ever again. "Thank you Finch, for everything. If you weren't here…" Finch waved it off, smiling widely, "Anyway, you can keep the ice I harvested. I don't think Sven can carry it back in my tiny sled." The 2 men clasped forearms, Kristoff shifting Anna's weight to his shoulder. Finch started over to instruct the other harvesters with the rest of the lake.

Kristoff struggled over the snowy ground, desperate to get Anna by a fire and in some warm clothes. Almost drowning seemed to suck the life out of her and the woolen blankets wrapped around them dragged Kristoff down. He didn't expect any help from the others though. They'd done their part.

When they reached the small tent Kristoff saw Pita had beat them to it. If he wasn't holding Anna he would have pounced on the kid. "I came to apologize," Pita said quickly, "Just hear me out."

"You'd better get lost before I get Anna inside," he hissed. Anna stirred, opening her eyes that were glassed over, "If you aren't gone by the time I come out, I'll string you to the back of my sled and drag you down the mountain back to Arendelle," he threatened, pushing past the boy and into the tent.

"I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

Kristoff struggled to pull them into the tent. Pita pushed through the flap after them, though space was very limited. "Please, Kristoff just let me speak to her," he insisted. His hand reached out to grab the large man's arm, but he thought better, "She needs to understand I wished her no harm."

Kristoff laid Anna on the blankets spread on the floor and turned to face Pita who shrank back against the entrance, "In case you haven't noticed the Princess is unconscious because you couldn't help showing off. Now you should go before I, as the Prince of Arendelle, decide your actions were one of treason."

Before Pita could reply Anna's soft voice spoke up. "He didn't mean it," Both men stopped puffing their chests to look down at the small woman trying to sit up from the multiple blankets. Pita averted his eyes while Kristoff bent to pull a cover over her bare chest. Anna's blush was visible in the lantern lit tent, "Oops, sorry, can't be helped. I did almost die, which I don't blame you for!" in typical Anna fashion she began babbling, despite her near death experience. Some things never change. "It was my entire fault, darling, Pita told me to be careful and I wasn't listening. I was too busy asking about cutting the ice exactly, like you do. I kept moving and I think that's what broke the ice," she laughed weakly, coughing wetly, "Silly me."

"Anna you don't have anything to explain," Kristoff assured, pushing her back, "I'll take care of it. You just rest. We'll be leaving as soon as I pack,"

"Oh please," Anna rolled her eyes, "If I let you handle everything, Arendelle would be a country at war. Remember when that old King from Kale made a pass at me and you 'took care of it.' We don't need another thing like that happening again. Just let it go Kristoff, Pita didn't mean any harm. I was in the wrong. I should've listened." Anna finally took a breath, watching Kristoff in case he decided to argue. Pita smiled smugly, feeling like he'd won.

Kristoff grit his teeth, unable to accept the fact that Pita wasn't to blame, but he did know Anna and what she said was probably true. If only she would _listen _to him! "Fine," he barked, stalking from the tent. Pita threw one last grateful look at the clumsy princess before following the big man.

"Hey, Kristoff, you heard her. It wasn't my fault. Can't we just put this behind us, brother?" Kristoff turned and wrapped a thick hand around Pita's throat, effectively cutting his words off and lifted his feet off the ground. Pita choked and scratched at his hand, fighting for air.

"I have a temper. Anna may have forgiven you, but I know what your intentions were. You messed with my wife, one of the only families I have. All because of your idiotic drive to conquer any girl you want." Kristoff dropped the boy in the snow. Pita stumbled, rubbing his sore throat and glaring at the man. He opened his mouth to speak, but Kristoff pulled a fist back and nailed him in the nose. Pita dropped like a sack in the snow, bellowing and moaning about how his nose was broken. "That's for flirting with my wife." Kristoff called a man over and told him to take Pita away before joining Anna in the tent to keep her warm and explain the noise.

**A/N: I know…**


	10. Chapter 10

Chocolate

Elsa rubbed her temples in frustration, a headache setting in, promising another sleepless night. She was surrounded by the councilmen and women of Arendelle who sat in their high backed chairs with thick glasses and sallow skin. These people were ancient, educated villagers from the four corners of Elsa's small kingdom, here to advise and inform her of the goings on around her.

Seeing as she'd just plunged the land into an eternal winter and thawed it back out in a matter of days, there were some problems. Some of them horrifically small and unimportant, like missing sheep or still frozen lakes, but others required her full attention. Unfortunately, Elsa didn't have the energy to start the battle against her own mistake just yet. She just wanted to lock herself in her spacious room and bury herself in the memorable silky duvet. Such luxuries weren't provided in her ice castle, despite its beauty and mass.

"'-And in conclusion my fields have been ravaged by the Snow Queen's storm and all crops destroyed by the sudden frost. Expect the next shipment of vegetables and fruit in 3 weeks' time; Signed, the good farmers of Gord.'" The head of the council, Cyrus, read out from a letter sent in from the western fields of Arendelle. Elsa sat a little straighter, trying to shake the sleepiness from her limbs. Just a little longer.

"Do we have enough to hold us 3 weeks? Including the emergency stash? If not I want to send a message to the Southern Isles and ask for help," the council looked around doubtfully, "I'll need a full inventory of the livestock in the town and a new census taken," Elsa ordered. One man at the end of the long table full of people wrote everything she said down. She hated to think anyone could have died from the sudden freeze, but the possibility weighed heavily on her mind. She _had_ frozen over a town full of poverty ridden people. Not everyone had a home or shelter to keep them warm, "And we should get an expert out to look at the irrigation pipes leading into the farms surrounding Arendelle," a couple pens scratched at paper, almost driving Elsa insane, "Is that all?"

Cyrus looked down at his 'list-of-problems-I-caused' as Elsa liked to call it. He began nodding sagely, his big eyes connecting with hers. "I believe so your majesty," she didn't even deserve the title, "We'll have the things you request in 2 days' time."

"Well I'll be in my room if you need me then," Elsa stood to leave, trying not to show too much relief, but before she could sweep from the room Stylus called her back.

"Would you like a guard to be posted at your bedroom door your majesty? The Prince of Southern Isles is still locked away in the building and if it makes you feel unsafe, we can get round the clock soldiers at your door in minutes." The way Cyrus said it made the question seem a challenge; like he was questioning her bravery. She turned to him, glaring daggers at the man who, surprisingly, didn't back down.

"Let him come," she hissed before turning and slamming the heavy wooden door with a blast of cold wind. Dramatic, but effective.

Elsa would have gone back to her room, but she realized halfway up the staircase to her floor that she was _very _hungry. There hadn't been food in the ice castle and she'd barely eaten at the party. With the feeling her stomach wasn't going to quiet down she sighed heavily and turned to make her way to the kitchens.

It wasn't very late in the day. Hopefully some cooks were still roaming the castle instead of out with their families celebrating the thaw. The hot sun was still visible over the ocean, making beautiful colors dance across the Queen's fair skin as she descended the castle stairs. Of all things Elsa envied, the sun was her greatest enemy. The great fiery ball brought so much joy and life to her people, while she only brought destruction and pain. One day of snow and she had almost ruined everything her father and grandfathers before her had spent their lives working towards. The sun never had to worry about hurting people with its rays. Elsa couldn't even interact with her own sister in fear she would freeze her to death with a single touch or misplaced feeling of anger.

The thought of Anna brought another round of painful memories that put a strain on her headache. She had put the poor girl through hell in the last 24 hours and more so in the last 13 years. Anna never deserved anything Elsa had thrown at her, yet she took it like a hero and still loved her through it all. Mother and Father had been right when they said Anna would forgive her for the seclusion, but it would never make it easier. Even when she'd hugged her brave sister earlier after thawing the land, there was still a twinge of guilt, a feeling that was brought about through years of isolation. Human contact still felt odd. Their parents trusted her to keep Anna safe and Elsa was spitting on their memory by ice skating with her and forming a new bond. What if the past repeated itself? She still couldn't control the magic enough for it to be remotely safe and Anna's blind faith that everything would be fixed didn't help.

Elsa shut down the downpour of emotions realizing her anxiety was getting to her again. A trail of frost was seeping from her feet into the concrete floor, reminding her of a slug's slime trail. She just needed hot food and a long nap.

When she pushed the small door into the basement opened she groaned at the darkness. No one was here. If Elsa really wanted to she could call for her handmaid, but the thought of people almost physically sickened her. Even after all that time alone she still relished the silence of the snowy mountains. Their stone cold faces devoid of judging eyes. The freedom of being finally normal despite the fact she would never be again. Reaching for the torch on the wall, Elsa lit the room with its dull fire and started searching the cabinets for something quick and easy.

In a small oven room off the main kitchen, a lamp had already been lit. Curious and ready to accept the fact that she couldn't cook anything stored, Elsa tip toed over and peeked inside to see who had stayed behind.

It was Anna.

He sister was covered in a white powder, her normally chestnut hair caked with it. From the lamp light, Elsa could just make out her pursed lips and scrunched eyebrows. Feeling frozen herself for the first time, Elsa swiftly backed away from the oven room… and straight into a mop.

The mop fell with a crash and Elsa with it. She landed in the bucket where it had rested, ultimately trapped. Anna emerged from the room a second later only to trip on the mop and go crashing to the floor in a shower of flour and flailing arms.

"Wha- huh? Elsa?" Anna stood up, shaking the hair from her eyes and peering at her sister. Elsa was still trying to save her dignity by struggling to come loose from the bucket. "I thought you were with the Council. What are you doing down here?"

"Right now I'm trying to get out of this bucket," she growled, trying to stand. She felt heat flood her face in embarrassment.

"Oh! Sorry," Anna grabbed her hand, shocking Elsa a little, and pulled hard. With a pop and a crash Elsa was free. She rubbed her sore bottom and scowled at the ground, refusing to look Anna in the eyes. "I've fallen into way too many buckets over the years. You know me," her sister giggled nervously, dragging her feet.

"Yeah well I was just leaving." She said a bit harsher than she meant. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Anna flinch at the tone and swiftly decided against her learned reaction of pushing the younger girl away. She asked with a sigh, "What were you doing trying to cook? I didn't think you could."

Anna blushed furiously and ducked her head. "I got bored and hungry and I was craving some chocolate and I happened to know there was some chocolate chunks down here I could use. I looked up the recipe for cookie dough and it didn't look too hard. But the bag of flour was super heavy and I dropped it on the floor trying to pour it and as you can see it got everywhere and I'm so sorry I made such a big mess and-"

"I think I understand." Elsa interrupted. If allowed Anna would never stop talking, that much hadn't changed. There was an awkward silence as Anna tried wiping the white dust off of her clothes to no avail.

"I was going to bring you some cookies when I got them done." Anna said breaking the quiet. Elsa opened her mouth to say thank you, but the words caught in her throat.

Here was her sister. The only close relative she had left. She was a goofball and was constantly getting into trouble with her silly antics, but this was Anna. It was easy to imagine life without her when she wasn't there, but Elsa could feel the tightness in her chest when she thought about all those years she had ignored this sweet, innocent girl. Her parents may have had the best interests at heart, but that wasn't something you could just get back. It took time and hard work.

"How about I help you make them and we'll eat them together. You know how much I love chocolate." Elsa offered. She shakily reached out to take her sisters hand. The warmth of the oven still clung to them. "After you get cleaned up." Anna's cheeks lifted in a big smile and started rapidly talking again as if the last couple years or even days had never happened. Elsa could still feel the guilt deep in her chest, but the smile on Anna's face started to melt the sadness she had carried for far too long.

**A/N- I'm sorry for the poor quality. I had written this quite some time ago and just finished the ending today. I'm going to start routine weekly chapters as I try and get back into writing slowly. Merry Christmas to all of you and make sure you hug your family. **


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